


Old house, new life

by Vinushuka



Series: Apocalyptica on the move [11]
Category: Apocalyptica (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:27:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27230446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vinushuka/pseuds/Vinushuka
Summary: Perttu has bought an old schoolhouse at Kisko village and is starting a renovation project to adopt the house better to his own needs. He has invited both Anna and Eicca to participate in the planning meetings, but this time only Anna can attend. Eicca is still busy with his birthday celebrations, but calls Perttu to remind him of their coming show at Gävle next weekend.In the evening Anna and Perttu have sauna together. Before bathing Anna tells him disturbing news from Japan. Yusuke has been trying to make contact with his daughter Miyu and her current family, but without success so far. The nightmarish situation makes Yusuke devastated which in turn affects Anna. Perttu has to do his best to support and comfort Anna and therefore stays the night at her place.
Relationships: Perttu Kivilaakso/Eicca Toppinen, Perttu Kivilaakso/Johanna Ahlbäck
Series: Apocalyptica on the move [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1408180





	1. From a dream to reality

The idea of living in a country house had first popped into my mind during our Australia tour last February. Since then the dream of a large estate with two houses and animal shelters had slowly evolved into a more realistic direction considering both financial and maintenance related limitations. Anyways, the dream was still very much alive when Lilli Paasikivi, director of Finnish National Opera invited me and Johanna to visit her new summer residence at Kisko village near Salo. She had bought an old vicarage there and was extremely happy about her purchase; the village had active cultural life, the surroundings were lovely and the distance to Helsinki area was not too long. During our discussions she happened to mention that there was an old schoolhouse close by waiting for new use. We went to see place and fell immediately in love with the house and its surroundings. When it turned out that the house was on sale, we arranged a meeting with the real estate broker and did a thorough review of the schoolhouse premises. Very quickly we decided to make an offer and managed to close the deal with it.

When I say old schoolhouse, I really mean OLD. The building had been constructed in 1890 and served as a school until 1993. The house most certainly had enough floorspace for the three of us, approximately 400 m2 in two floors, but of course the usage of space would have to be rethought. Together with Johanna we had outlined that we wanted a modern kitchen, a large living room with a fireplace, a music room/studio, several bedrooms and studies, sauna and bathroom and a utility room just to mention a few. The recent changes in my relationships wouldn’t necessarily affect these basic requirements very much, but anyways I needed Eicca’s and Anna’s input to set a common baseline for the planning process. 

I arrived at the house about one hour before our first planning meeting just to calm down and enjoy in peace and quiet the atmosphere of the old building. I roamed through the first-floor rooms and stopped to watch out of the windows to feel what kind of effect the scenery had on me. When that was done, I climbed upstairs and did the same there. I was just peeking out of a window facing to the courtyard when I saw Anna arriving there. She too was early. I hurried downstairs to meet her and Lumi as this was their first time here.

“Hi Perttu. This place looks absolutely gorgeous!” Anna called when she saw me coming across the yard.

“You don’t say! Welcome to Kisko and Kivilaakso residence”, I said and gave her a warm hug. “How’s my little princess doing?” I asked when Anna was releasing Lumi from the safety seat.

“She slept like log all the way here. I hope you have a microwave here to warm up her baby formula.”

“The facilities here are rather elementary at the moment, but the kitchen has an old stove, fridge, micro and a coffee maker.”

“That’s alright. It’s probably better that I feed her before the meeting. Can you hold her while I take my baby bag from the car trunk?”

We headed back to the house, me carrying Lumi and Anna her childcare bag, that contained all necessities for travelling. The microwave in the kitchen must have seen better days, but it did warm up a bottle of baby formula once we managed to push the right buttons. We sat down at the kitchen table while Lumi enjoyed her second breakfast in Anna’s arms.

“Ah, this feels so cozy”, I sighed referring to the sight of Anna feeding the baby and the surroundings in general. I was happy that I had finally come to my senses and had my loved ones near me.

“There is something soothing in the atmosphere of old schoolhouses. One can almost see the kids playing on the yard and teachers writing with squeaky chalks on the blackboard”, Anna mused sounding happy too. “By the way, is Eicca joining us today? I heard he had another load of guests coming to celebrate his birthday tonight.”

“No, he’s not coming. We agreed that he would skip this session but will join the next one. It’s just the two of us and the architect.

The guy who would plan the renovation and manage the renovation work had an architect office specialized in renovating old wooden buildings respecting their original materials and designs. Some locals and Lilli Paasikivi had recommended him to me. I knew this project wouldn’t be cheap but worth all the money spent. I’d just have to figure out a way to finance all this.

The architect, who introduced himself as Anders Lund, arrived punctually and turned out to be a knowledgeable person with an impressive track record. At least I had no doubts about letting him manage the project when we had gone through his references and he had shown us pictures of the old houses to which he had given a new life. 

We started our planning session by going through the rough requirements I had compiled together with Johanna and after that headed to a tour around the house taking pictures and videos. Based on his findings and our requirements the architect would produce preliminary layout drawings, schedule and cost estimate for the project. After that we could discuss the changes and finalize the plans and cost target. I would have to discuss the financial matters with Eicca once I knew what the renovation project would cost.

When we closed the meeting about three hours later, we were both exhausted and hungry.

“Is there a decent restaurant somewhere around here? I could eat a horse right now”, Anna asked when Anders had left.

“I think there’s one withing a walking distance. I can carry Lumi if you like “, I proposed.

“I have a carriage at the back of my car. It’s handy for longer distances and leaves our hands free at the table.”

To our relief, we found a small restaurant close by with a reasonably priced menu. Although it was lunch time, the place wasn’t fully booked, and we got ourselves a nice table with enough space for Lumi’s carriage.

“You must have realized that you need someone to look after the house while you and Eicca are travelling on long tours”, Anna remarked after we had placed our orders.

“Yeah, I figured that out a while ago. We will have to hire a local housekeeper to plow the snow, mow the lawns and check that everything is working properly while we’re away. It makes things more complicated, but I think we can handle that.”

“So, marrying Eicca still feels like a good idea?” Anna asked after a short pause.

“Yes, it does. Are you hoping that I would have married you instead?”, I blurted out the question that still bothered me.

“No, I think you and Eicca belong together, but I hope I will have a place in your life. I was afraid that I would be shut out if you married Johanna. I’m not expecting Eicca to be jealous about you.”

“Probably not, he understands and accepts my dualism. But is Yusuke as understanding about us as you have led me to believe?”

“I’ve been honest with him and I trust him to do the same. I want a relationship with a companion who can be present in his family’s life. I probably couldn’t take being a single mother in the long run”, Anna finally admitted although she had repeatedly assured me that she could make it alone.

“So, we are both doing the right thing here”, I summed up our discussion so far.

“Yes, I guess so… Yusuke promised to call me today. He has finally met Miyu’s family today. The meeting must have been difficult for him. I hope he made through it without a panic attack”, Anna told me sounding worried.

“I still remember his reaction during Midsummer’s Eve when he found out that Miyu might be alive. It was a shocking moment even for me”, I confessed. I still remembered vividly my own anxiety when I realized how horrible his pain must have been. Losing Anna or Lumi would probably have traumatized me for the rest of my life.

“That wasn’t the first time it happened. He freaked out completely when I told him that I might have problems with my childbirth”, Anna sighed.

I was relieved when the waiter brought our portions, and we could concentrate on eating rather than talking. I didn’t want to dwell on the possible risks we all had in our lives. The thought of Anna and Lumi travelling to Japan where earthquakes and typhoons were frequent didn’t exactly frighten me, but it made me feel uncomfortable.

The clink of an incoming message interrupted Anna’s meal. She had probably been expecting it, because she apologized and checked the contents immediately after which she wrote a short reply.

“It was from Yusuke. He knows I have this meeting so he asked when he could call me. I said I would be at home about 4 o’clock.”

“I see… Err, would it be possible to have sauna tonight, say around 7 o’clock? We will be travelling to Sweden during the weekend so I will miss our regular sauna evening”, I asked hoping that I wasn’t intruding.

“Yes, of course. That way you will hear the latest news from Japan before your trip”, Anna said and flashed a happy smile at me after that. Obviously, I still was a welcome guest at her house. 

We finished our meal with an ice cream dessert and sent our heartfelt thanks to the cook for a simple but delicious lunch made of local ingredients. At my house I helped Anna to pack the carriage back into the car trunk and strap Lumi into her safety seat. After a parting-hug and a kiss, we went our separate ways to continue our day. I was happy that we would see again in the evening doing something that would at least remotely resemble normal family life. I wasn’t exactly thrilled about our last gig before summer holidays, but the feeling would most likely change when we were on stage again torturing our cellos to death for our dear fans.


	2. Disturbing news from Japan

I had just arrived home when my phone buzzed, and I received a call from Johanna.

“Hi Perttu, I just thought to let you know that my gynecologist didn’t find anything serious in the ultrasound scan she made. I have a cyst in my left ovary, but it should vanish when my next period starts. Cysts are a common nuisance for women in their fertile age.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Does the cyst prevent you from riding?”

“Yes, it’s quite painful so I will have to take a short break with my riding lessons. I will arrange another instructor for your next two rides.”

“That’s okay. The instructor I had last Tuesday was fine.”

“I will check if she’s available and let you know.”

“Thanks, and take care”, I concluded our short exchange feeling relieved. One issue on my long list seemed to have been resolved. I had enough to worry with the renovation project and my finances.

While I still had some time left, I decided to check my stage clothing to avoid last minute hassle with packing on Friday. I was in the middle of it when Eicca gave me a call.

“Hi babe! Do you still remember our gig at Gävle on Saturday? You’ve been so absentminded lately that I thought it would be best to remind you once more.”

“Thanks for the reminder. I was just checking my wardrobe… How is your second birthday party going?”

“Everything is about ready. The guests will arrive around six o’clock, so I have some spare time before that. I started to miss you…”

“Hmm, that sounds nice. You don’t happen to have any spare time tomorrow?” I asked my hopes rising.

“I will have to pack my things tomorrow but that is quickly done. I could come and see you in the afternoon it that suits you.” Eicca proposed sounding hopeful too.

“You’re always welcome. What time did you have in mind?”

“Around four in the afternoon.”

“Can’t wait to see you then”, I purred feeling happier than I should about a short visit of my coming husband. This day was turning out better than I had expected.

I arrived at Anna’s house at seven o’clock sharp feeling a bit nervous. I really hoped that the news from Japan would be positive. Anna’s face, when she opened the door, told a different story. She looked like she had been crying.

“How are you doing?”, I asked after our welcoming hug.

“Better, now that you are here”, Anna replied her voice breaking down.

I waited her to continue, but she didn’t. She was clearly struggling to maintain her composure. I took her hand and led her to the living room sofa. When we had sat there for a while, I finally opened the discussion.

“Would you like to share with me what you heard from Yusuke?”

“The story is extremely sad. The woman who took Miyu had been babysitting her at her own house a bit farther away from the sea and was therefore spared from the tsunami. When she saw that Miyu’s home was destroyed and heard that Yusukes wife and children were reported missing, she decided to keep the child. She had lost her own daughter two days earlier but hadn’t reported her death to anyone, so her decision was somehow understandable. Her husband thought it was best to let her do that. Now she’s at the brink of a nervous breakdown and refuses to let Yusuke anywhere near the child she calls Kaede. Yusuke is devastated. He can’t see his own daughter and doesn’t want to cause the woman any more suffering. The officials are clueless with this case. Anyways, they are trying to persuade the woman to let Yusuke meet Miyu at a family dinner, where he would pretend to be an uncle who has just returned from America. I think this was Yusuke’s idea, not theirs.”

“Sounds like a real nightmare to me!”

“Yeah, to me too. I feel so helpless!” Anna sighed her eyes tearing up again.

“I think Yusuke is right in trying to win her trust. It’s not easy to entrust one child into the hands of a stranger. It may be a slow process, but it will lead to a better result both from the child’s and the family’s point of view”, I reasoned mirroring my own thoughts about Yusuke as Lumi’s stepfather.

“Thanks, that was exactly what I needed to hear. Trust is the way out of this problem. I just hope that the dinner idea can be realized during this week. Otherwise Yusuke will have to return to Finland empty handed.”

“Even a little progress is better than nothing. We all need patience.”, I said trying to reinforce Anna’s faith in happy ending of this complicated case.

“I guess you’re right”, Anna mumbled and caressed my cheek looking slightly happier.

“By the way, did you have time to light up the fire in the stove or should I do it?” I asked remembering the original purpose of our meeting.

“Yes, I got the fire going about twenty minutes ago just to calm down my nerves. The hum of fire is the best tranquilizer I know. But you could go down and check the situation. I think it’s about time to add another batch of logs.”

I left Anna to prepare Lumi for sauna and headed downstairs to check the stove and sauna temperature. The first batch of wood had almost burnt down so I added a second one and waited for the fire to get going. I sat down for a while watching the flames dance and thinking, how this situation might affect Yusuke’s and Anna’s plans. It could mean that after Yusuke’s assignment in Finland ended, their stay in Japan would be longer than planned. In that case I would have to visit Japan to see my daughter, which in fact wasn’t a bad idea.

“Is sauna already warm enough?” Annas question startled me when she turned up at the door carrying Lumi.

“Yeah, in about ten minutes”, I promised after peeking at the thermometer on sauna wall.

“Okay, I can give Lumi a bath during the wait. Can you hold her while I prepare the bath?” Anna asked.

I took my daughter into my lap and showed her the fire. The flickering flames obviously intrigued her because she stared at them for a while and said: “Ga-aaa.” 

“Yes, it’s fire”. I replied and cuddled her belly. She turned her grey eyes at me and gave me a wide smile: “Oo-ooo.”

“Hey Anna, we are having a conversation here!”, I called Anna, who was running water into Lumi’s bathtub.

“What did she say?”

“She said that the fire was ga-aaa and I was oo-ooo.”

” Couldn’t agree more”, Anna giggled. “The young lady’s bath is now ready.”

By the time we had finished our bathing I had completely forgotten the anxiety that Yusuke’s situation had evoked in me. Seeing and hearing our daughter communicate with us, although it was only on elementary level, made me feel humble and privileged. Yusuke had lost three precious years of his daughter’s development. Maybe seeing Lumi grow up would help him to cope with his loss and to overcome the bitterness he no doubt felt about his cruel destiny.

“Would you like to stay the night? I find it easier to sleep with you near me”, Anna surprised me with her question when we had finished our light evening meal after sauna.

“Actually, I was about to ask you the same thing. This day has been rather taxing although sauna helped me to relax somewhat. I wouldn’t mind going to bed early”, I replied glad that we both wanted the same thing. My need to be together with my loved ones had grown to an unprecedented level within the last few days.

My exhaustion vanished quickly when I held Anna in my arms in her waterbed and her soft lips started to caress my face. We made love without worrying about anything. For the first time in months I didn’t have to choose between her and Johanna. The relief was enormous and made me feel euphoric.

“I love you and Lumi no matter what happens in the future”, I reminded Anna once more about my feelings.

“I know you do, and I love you too”, Anna relied just when I started to drift to sleep. Everything was as it should be.


End file.
